small space style black walls and curated fashion at pretty people vintage

One of my favorite sightings // black paint in small spaces. Check out one of my fave shops, Pretty People, and the beautiful black painted walls throughout the small space. I love the richness and depth that black walls with bright white moldings can evoke in small spaces. The contrast of the white encourages your eyes to keep moving into that deep black and the small space feels bigger - love that! Plus the black walls provide a clean foundation for colorful decor, like these two mirrors - yellow and turquoise. Decor aside, the shop is full of sweet owner, Annie's, vintage fashion and design finds that she curates and showcases in constant rotation. I love that you can find something brand new-to-you every time you shop here. The accessories are a plenty (I love her pin selections) and she has racks of well-designed,  pretty vintage pieces.  

Click here to check out Annie's shop, Pretty People Vintage. Want some more black paint love? Click here, here and here for more spaces with pretty black walls and floors. I see a small space DIY in my very near future.

:: all images by loving. living. small. ::

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a little inspiration

A little weekend idea // set up your space with items that make you smile and provide a constant stream of inspiration. I promise this will make your home feel open and bright, no matter what the size. 

My current home office inspirations //  flat vase, Yves Saint Laurent LOVE book (a gift from my mom), various design books and my NYC pencil set.

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loving. eating. small. fat radish | nyc

I am heading off to NYC soon for a visit to to my fave city and the inspiration for this little blog. My fiance and I will be visiting with friends and checking out some spots, like the Fat Radish. This place opened up after I had moved and I'm looking forward to checking it out. I love intimate dining spots that offer not just great food but great design. From the photos on their site, Fat Radish seems to deliver both. There are many small space design ideas right in there // white subway tiles, large type, floating shelving and mixed textures. Do you check out design while you're dining? Click here to see more of loving. eating. small.

:: images via Fat Radish ::

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design inspiration turning christian siriano 2012 RTW into small space interiors

More NYFW love. There are some incredible design statements walking the runway. I am loving so many of them, including Jason Wu, J. Crew, rag and bone, Oscar de la Renta, DVF, Parabal Gurung and Christian Siriano. Christian's show was so catching - I love the mix of soft femininity and bold colors as well as his color pairings. I was so inspired by his line, I had to turn it into a room that any small space dweller would love. 

I really love his poppy red designs (that dress is stunning!)and thought this modern living room was a great complement. You can certainly add bold color to a small space. The trick is to edit your additions. The artwork, pillows and coffee table books create a cohesive design message in the room while adding depth. Another small space tip is to include pieces that appear to float, like the acrylic coffee table. Your eyes will keep moving and open up the space.

My next fave is the pale gray, cream and chartreuse collection - my oh my. So elegant yet modern with a touch of edge. (Katherine Hepburn was his inspiration for the line) The design of this open space living room and kitchen evokes a similar vibe. I love the idea of two tones of the same color in a small space. It adds a design element and dimension, which all small spaces benefit from. A few affordable additions of color through flowers makes this room flow and perfect in harmony. Small space tip - if you have an open space like this room, forget placing your pieces against a wall. Float them and create a zone. 

Are you loving the collections? Share your favorite designs.

:: fashion photos via style.com / red room via lonny / gray room via decor pad ::

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design inspiration design advice from kelly wearstler

Have you been eyeing Fashion Week? I love checking out the latest fashion trends to spot the next big shelter trend (can you say "pearl" for color of the year 2012?) One new-to-me designer is Kelly Wearstler. I didn't know she had a clothing line and I am absolutely loving it! Her design style is a bit more pulled back than her interiors but her visual appeal and signature design is definitely in tact. I love the mix and match of patterns with the two-tone palettes - rock it! I have always loved her spaces - they are full of incredible depth and balance. She has so many design elements going on in a space but it works and that's why she is a successful designer. 

She shared some of her design advice right on her personal blog. And, of course, her clothing design intentions echo her fab interior design ones. I definitely believe that these apply to all small space dwellers. You truly will be impressed by what visual depth and harmony can *add* to a small space. Consider everything in your small space and how it feels together. 

Yes, you can have a bright orange wall. 

Yes, you can have large furniture. 

Yes you can have collections.

Just make sure it's balanced in the scale of the room. Click here for tons of ways to accomplish this in your own small space. 

And how rad is Kelly's clothing line? Love love love it! {and I am so getting that gorgeous blue blouse}

:: Images via Kelly Wearstler and Style.com ::

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white foundation two ways neutral tones and pops of pastel color

I am feeling these white palettes and think it's pretty amazing how the idea of white foundation can be seen in two ways - a more neutral tone and a more colorful style. While these are a bit different, I think it shows how what can be used in a softer way - mixing in soft style. White can be special in a small space. By keeping a white palette, you allow the eyes to move around and the space feels bigger. Love that! What do you think of white as a foundation for a small space?

:: images of Stockholm shops snapped by loving. living. small. ::

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loving. eating. small. summer travel edition

It's been raining like crazy in the east coast lately and I've been staying in and enjoying the cozy vibe of my new small space. I've been checking out and loving some amazing food blogs lately (like this blog, this blog and this blog) and was inspired to share some of my photos from my summer trip to Italy, Stockholm and London. I definitely enjoyed the food and wine on my trip and was turned on to a lot of new and interesting goodies. 

I love how photos evoke such memories and inspiration. I remember shooting one of my Chianti day trips and absolutely loving the faltered wood farm tables - perfectly rustic. It definitely inspired my new farmhouse buffet. Do you have pieces in your home that are inspired from photographs?

location of images from the top //

01. Rome. Window shopping break for coffee.

02. Florence. Rooftop dinner.

03. Stockholm. Lunch in my friend's backyard patio.

04. Florence. Gelato snack.

05. Florence. Breakfast on our rooftop terrace. 

06. Chianti. Winetasting.

07. Chianti. Lunch during winetasting.

08. Chianti. Dessert wine and cookie during winetasting.

09. Chianti. Winetasting.

10. Chianti. Winetasting.
11. London. Flowerpot bread at Borough Market.

12. London. Borough Market lunch.

13. London. Mushrooms snapped during Borough Market walk.

14. London. Notting Hill walk and snack.

15. London. Breakfast.

16. Florence. Best white pizza. Ever.

17. London. Oysters and clams snapped during Borough Market walk.

18. Stockholm. Ferry to Archipelago for Midsummer weekend.

19. Stockholm. Bulle and coffee break.

:: all images snapped by loving. living. small. ::

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